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theclimbergirl
Nov 10, 2007, 11:23 PM
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Hello, ladies... I was going to post to the more general forum then discovered the ladies' room - yay!
I have been reading sites for the last few weeks looking for beta for my first trip to Red Rocks this december. Any girl beta that you would be willing to share? I'm going to be in a mixed group of girls and guys, but I drew the short stick and am doing the trip planning, so it's a bit like herding cats. We'll have one teenage girl with us, so need to be a bit more attentive to personal safety than when it's just me and the guys.
The big decision right now is whether to camp or hotel. Have you camped during late december at the park. Input? On the general list it sounds like the suncoast is the way to go for a hotel - any other opinions?
Thank you, ladies!
(This post was edited by theclimbergirl on Nov 10, 2007, 11:27 PM)
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troutboy
Nov 10, 2007, 11:56 PM
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Well, I'm not a girl but I can help you with some advice.
The campgound at Red Rocks is nice because it is convenient to the park, just a short dirve. Staying in Vegas means about a 30 minute drive to Red Rocks (entrance gate) with the current traffic situation.
However, the campground is in the open, with no shelter from the wind. In December, it could be very cold and windy. It might be pretty miserable doing the hanging out after a day of climbing thing.
OTOH, if you have a teenage woman with you, it might be a better choice than staying in Vegas. Depends on the maturity of the teen and that of rest of the group. Are they mature enough to protect her and keep her out of trouble if that is required. Or is she mature enough to stay out of trouble on her own ?
You'll need to answer that based on your knowledge of the teen and the group, then decide if staying out of town will make it easier to keep the teen (or the group) out of trouble.
Also, don't know how old you are, but you'll find it much easier at Red Rocks with a car. Not quite a must have if you're camping, but pretty close. If you stay in town, the car is required. Hopefully, someone in your group is old enough to rent.
Enjoy your trip; it's a remarkable place.
TS
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theclimbergirl
Nov 11, 2007, 12:01 AM
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Thank you for the tips. I'm a grown up, and we're driving down (at least two carloads) so we'll be equipped for anything. Teen is more mature than most of my adult boy partners (all of them, perhaps) so I'm not so worried about her, but as a responsible grown up I do take some extra precautions when we're out with other peoples' minor offspring.
We'll see. My super strong preference is to camp because that's part of the fun, but I am just a little worried about being too cold. Last December we did Joshua Tree and I about froze my fingers off. I slept each night with one of those disposable heating pads and spent all night passing it around between my hands, feet and core!
Thank you, again!
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clausti
Nov 12, 2007, 3:22 AM
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I camped there last February, and it was ok. cold, but bearable if you make hot drinks with the morning and night meals. of course, dress accordingly, sleep multiple ppl to a tent, ect.
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climbs4fun
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Nov 12, 2007, 5:12 AM
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theclimbergirl wrote: Thank you for the tips. I'm a grown up, and we're driving down (at least two carloads) so we'll be equipped for anything. Teen is more mature than most of my adult boy partners (all of them, perhaps) so I'm not so worried about her, but as a responsible grown up I do take some extra precautions when we're out with other peoples' minor offspring. We'll see. My super strong preference is to camp because that's part of the fun, but I am just a little worried about being too cold. Last December we did Joshua Tree and I about froze my fingers off. I slept each night with one of those disposable heating pads and spent all night passing it around between my hands, feet and core! Thank you, again!
Joshua tree and Red Rock will comparable in temps. Unlike Jtree there are no rocks to shelter from wind. However, it isn't usually quite as windy here. So far, the weather is quite mild for this time of year. But it can be quite unpredictable in the winter too. There are a few hotels relatively close by that should be in the affordable range that time of year. There is Bonnie Springs which, although different, is close to the park. There is also a new Howard Johnson (I think) right off the 215 at Flamingo. As you or somebody else mentioned there is also the Suncoast. There is the new Red Rock casino right at Charleston and 215. It will be expensive though. Tends to be a little bit more high end. There closer alternatives than going too far into town. You should be fine. Just be prepared for warm days and cold nights. Keep in mind that the canyons can get very cold very quickly and be prepared for it as approaches can be long and getting off the walls (on multi-pitch) can take a lot of time. Sport areas tend to be close to the car with relatively no approach and are lower in elevation. Have a good time!
(This post was edited by climbs4fun on Nov 12, 2007, 5:13 AM)
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theclimbergirl
Nov 12, 2007, 4:03 PM
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Thank you for the additional info. I knew the approaches were long, I hadn't yet put that together to mean "pack warm" for the hike out, so thanks for that tip. I'll look into the accommodations you mentioned, too.
Thanks again, and where do the red rocks locals go for winter break?
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climbs4fun
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Nov 12, 2007, 6:48 PM
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theclimbergirl wrote: Thank you for the additional info. I knew the approaches were long, I hadn't yet put that together to mean "pack warm" for the hike out, so thanks for that tip. I'll look into the accommodations you mentioned, too. Thanks again, and where do the red rocks locals go for winter break?
You're welcome.
Anywhere but here! lol.
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reno
Nov 12, 2007, 7:27 PM
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clausti wrote: I camped there last February, and it was ok. cold, but bearable if you make hot drinks with the morning and night meals.
Something I've done to stay warm during cold camps (my sleeping bag is rated to 15F, and I've used it as low as -5) is to boil some water, pour it into a Nalgene, tuck the Nalgene into a sock, and bring the whole thing into my sleeping bag. Slow, gradual release of warmth that you can move from your stomach to the small of your back to your chest.... and so forth.
I'd camp, but only because I'm a cheapskate who doesn't like to shell out money for a hotel unless I really must.
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iamthewallress
Nov 12, 2007, 8:22 PM
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theclimbergirl wrote: We'll see. My super strong preference is to camp because that's part of the fun, but I am just a little worried about being too cold. Last December we did Joshua Tree and I about froze my fingers off. I slept each night with one of those disposable heating pads and spent all night passing it around between my hands, feet and core!
Consider taking the money that you save by camping and investing it in a super low degree bag. I like to use two!
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lhwang
Nov 12, 2007, 8:26 PM
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I went last year in early February. We lucked out and the weather was nice. We stayed at the Excalibur, a cheesy hotel on the strip. The bonus was that it was relatively cheap ($40 per night total) and it was easy to get onto the freeway. It only took us about 20 minutes to get from there to climbing. If you have a group of 4 people, staying in a hotel might actually be worth it.
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desertwanderer81
Nov 12, 2007, 8:33 PM
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theclimbergirl wrote: Hello, ladies... I was going to post to the more general forum then discovered the ladies' room - yay! I have been reading sites for the last few weeks looking for beta for my first trip to Red Rocks this december. Any girl beta that you would be willing to share? I'm going to be in a mixed group of girls and guys, but I drew the short stick and am doing the trip planning, so it's a bit like herding cats. We'll have one teenage girl with us, so need to be a bit more attentive to personal safety than when it's just me and the guys. The big decision right now is whether to camp or hotel. Have you camped during late december at the park. Input? On the general list it sounds like the suncoast is the way to go for a hotel - any other opinions? Thank you, ladies!
From someone who went to collge 2 hours from Montreal, RR in December is VERY mild. I have only been "cold" once out here and to me most of the time it is short and t-shirt weather. Actually, I was pretty hot last weekend....
Oh, and unless you have boku bucks to blow, don't even think of staying at the new RR Station casino. It is more expensive than a lot of places on the strip. Other than the other places mentioned, South Point is off the strip and you can get some really nice rooms for 50 bucks a night or so (during the week).
Anyhow, where do we go? I'm going to JTree for Thanksgiving! I want to get out of town!
PS, isn't this more of a regional discussion? Meh, I don't get it :p
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carabiner96
Nov 13, 2007, 3:11 AM
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reno wrote: clausti wrote: I camped there last February, and it was ok. cold, but bearable if you make hot drinks with the morning and night meals. Something I've done to stay warm during cold camps (my sleeping bag is rated to 15F, and I've used it as low as -5) is to boil some water, pour it into a Nalgene, tuck the Nalgene into a sock, and bring the whole thing into my sleeping bag. Slow, gradual release of warmth that you can move from your stomach to the small of your back to your chest.... and so forth. I'd camp, but only because I'm a cheapskate who doesn't like to shell out money for a hotel unless I really must.
You mean a ----NALGINA???
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reno
Nov 13, 2007, 3:31 AM
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carabiner96 wrote: reno wrote: clausti wrote: I camped there last February, and it was ok. cold, but bearable if you make hot drinks with the morning and night meals. Something I've done to stay warm during cold camps (my sleeping bag is rated to 15F, and I've used it as low as -5) is to boil some water, pour it into a Nalgene, tuck the Nalgene into a sock, and bring the whole thing into my sleeping bag. Slow, gradual release of warmth that you can move from your stomach to the small of your back to your chest.... and so forth. I'd camp, but only because I'm a cheapskate who doesn't like to shell out money for a hotel unless I really must. You mean a ----NALGINA???
Only if you say so, ma'am.
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theclimbergirl
Jan 4, 2008, 5:54 AM
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Update - the weather was fine! We were there Dec 27 - Jan 2 and had some chilly mornings and the evenings were cold, but daytimes were nice for climbing. Two sleeping bags was overkill but I used them both anyway -- I had a 20 degree bag and would probably have been fine with just that. I used the 2nd bag around the campfire to keep warm in the PM, which was nice. We got blown off Moderate Mecca on the 27th and had a chilly day in Solar Gully, but otherwise found warm spots to climb and had a great time. Thanks for the tips, all...
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